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Man gets 16 years and caning for drug possession

GEORGE TOWN: A lorry driver was sentenced to 16 years in jail and 10 strokes of the rotan by a High Court here for possessing 36.95gm of methamphetamine.

Sahul Hamid M. Mohd Ibrahim (pic), 49, initially appeared relieved when the court acquitted him of the first charge of trafficking 696.15gm of heroin and monoacetylmorphine in Jalan Lintang here at about 11.30pm on March 22, 2013.

But his relief was short-lived when Judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin found him guilty of the second charge of possessing 36.95gm of methamphetamine at the same place and time.

In his judgment on the drug trafficking charge, Justice Azmi said the defence had raised reasonable doubt as the accused did not have exclusivity over the car where the heroin and monoace- tylmorphine were found contained in two bags. This offence carries the mandatory death penalty on conviction.

For the possession charge involving the methamphetamine found in Sahul Hamid’s shirt pocket, he said the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt.

In mitigation, defence counsel Hussaini Abdul Rashid said this was his client’s first offence.

He said Sahul Hamid’s wife was a factory worker supporting their three children.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amir Hamdzah urged the court to impose an appropriate punishment. Justice Azmi ordered Sahul Hamid to serve his jail term from the date of his arrest on March 22, 2013.